


Not Quite Glory, Not Quite Fame

by saxophonic



Series: B.A.P Bingo Challenge 2015 [5]
Category: B.A.P
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Military, Blow Jobs, Highly inaccurate spear technique, M/M, Ogres, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-22
Updated: 2015-08-22
Packaged: 2018-04-16 13:44:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,338
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4627476
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/saxophonic/pseuds/saxophonic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Serving in the King’s Own isn’t all glamour and play. (Fill for "Military/War AU" B.A.P Bingo Square)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Not Quite Glory, Not Quite Fame

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by Tamora Pierce's Tortall world! If you've read her works (particularly Book 3 of her Protector of the Small series), the premise and terms should be familiar to you. If you haven't, it shouldn't hinder your reading of the story.
> 
> Written to fill my "Military/War AU" square for [BAP Bingo Challenge](http://bapbingochallenge.tumblr.com/).

Roused from his bed before false dawn, Himchan knows better than to ask questions. Training and experience take hold, and half-asleep, he manages to pack a few essentials while dressing himself into the charcoal and berry red colors of the King’s Own

He finds his knight commander in his office, relaying a supplies request to a runner. “What’ve we got this time?” Himchan asks, stepping aside to allow the kid to slip past before walking up to Himchan’s desk.

Yongguk’s mouth is a grim line. He pushes a letter toward Himchan, written in standard military shorthand, not code. Himchan relaxes his shoulders a little. “Ogres. Two of them, by the early reports, and some bandits made quick work of a village about two hours’ ride north by northeast.”

“No overnight packs, then, and preference for geldings and spears.” Rereading the letter for aid and its quick description of the attack, Himchan grimaces. “How many did they...?”

“Three dead, five wounded.”

“After two ogres and a team of bandits? Not the worst outcome.” Himchan shrugs, tucking away the information included in the letter as he sets it down. “Any Queen’s Riders coming along with us?”

“No, they’ve got their own orders. With the whole of Third Company, I think we’ll be able to handle the bandit rabble and their two ogres.”

Himchan nods in silence, taking in the downward slope of Yongguk’s mouth, the shadowy arcs under his eyes, the crease between his eyebrows. He moves closer to ask Yongguk how much sleep he got last night when Jongup, Yongguk’s standard-bearer, jogs into the office. He looks freshly rolled out of bed and into his boots, hair askew and short of breath. Himchan assumes Jongup’s come to ask Yongguk which horse to start saddling, or perhaps which weapons take preference in their ride packs. Sighing, Himchan steps back and extends one hand. “We’ll be ready when you are.”

Yongguk clasps Himchan’s forearm. Their eyes meet. “I don’t doubt it.”

Third Company of the King’s Own Forces sets off to aid the attacked village as dawn breaks over the horizon. They make a decent pace, taking the main road through the forest as far as they can before branching off on a side trail. 

Himchan falls in ranks with two other nobles, Daehyun of Southcove and Youngjae of Honora’s Peak. Like Himchan, they’re both knights who sought employment with the Own for a chance to work under Yongguk of Lussuria, the knight who turned the King’s Own from mere decorative weaponry to a maneuverable fighting force. “Himchan!” calls Daehyun with a grin. He’s younger than Himchan by a couple of years, and he has been serving in the Own for five. “What is it this time? Another giant for our dear commander to bag?”

Youngjae snorts. He’s a little younger than Daehyun, but joined the Own about the same time as his friend. “He’s been on this idea all morning. I’ve told him it’s ogres, but you know how he gets.”

“It’s ogres,” Himchan says with finality. “You’re still on that giant-slayer thing, then? I would have thought the ambush during border patrol this winter would have quashed that from you.”

“It did for a while,” Youngjae says. “But he woke up one night and now he’s back on this ‘giant killer’ this and ‘dragon slayer’ that nonsense.”

“I never said anything about dragons!” Daehyun corrects quickly.

“Oh, he’s upgraded to dragons now?” Himchan raises his eyebrows. “You’re a lucky one you weren’t there during the Immortals War, watching those great beasts appear out of nowhere and burning the sky.” He shudders. “I’m just glad they were on our side and not against us. I wouldn’t want to approach a dragon, much less try to kill it.”

“That isn’t what I said, Himchan!” Daehyun scowls. “Youngjae’s twisting my words.”

“I hear they’re supposed to be extremely intelligent,” Youngjae casts Daehyun a wry look, which sets Daehyun sputtering. 

“He’s right, Daehyun,” says Himchan, sensing the two bickering knights are approaching the tipping point between friendly teasing and real antagonization. “They’re extremely intelligent, able to grasp concepts far beyond that of humans, or so the word goes. But we’re not facing dragons today.” He shifts in his saddle. “Ogres may be stupid, but they still cause a lot of damage, and take a lot of human lives in the realm each year.”

Daehyun and Youngjae stop bickering, faces falling into solemnity. “Like last night,” Daehyun says.

“Like last night.” Himchan nods. “It’s important not to lose sight of why we’re here.” The sounds of travel overtake them, the pounding of hooves bearing riders over terrain, the jingle of metal in packs, the creatures of the forest giving them wide berth but the song of the wild otherwise untouched. Himchan takes particular note of the last piece of auditory information. He counts themselves lucky the bandits decided not to wait and ambush what help came from the castle.

Third Company reaches the village, or what’s left of it, without trouble. The village gates have been smashed wide open, fragments scattered around where the two ogres must have burst through first. He doesn’t have to look past the gates to know much of the village has been burned, the smoke still lingering heavy in the air. 

Himchan dismounts, leading his horse to where Yongguk decided to make temporary camp and letting one of the handlers take over while he moves through the company to find Yongguk. He’s away from the others, speaking with what looks to be the town leaders. Himchan lingers, giving Yongguk his space as he makes the company’s formal introduction, before stepping forward once the townspeople return inside the shattered gate of their village center.

“Well?” Himchan asks, trying to read Yongguk’s face.

“One more found dead in the wreckage since the initial attack, but I’m sure there’ll be more as the day goes on. It was a dead-of-night raid, and they torched a lot of the village center.” Yongguk looks over his shoulder at the ruined gate. “Bandits are still about, likely to strike again if they didn’t grab as much as they wanted the first time. How many do you recommend we send to find them, captain?”

“How many bandits, roughly?”

“Ten men, and two ogres. They’re certain about the ogres.”

Himchan frowns, giving the company a quick glance. “I’d recommend four squads in cardinal directions to set up a perimeter, four squads to fan out around the town, and two to help with clean-up in the city center, which would also boost defenses should the bandits find a way around the other eight.”

Nodding, Yongguk follows his eyes. “You, another squad, and I will take the center. Set the other eight at your discretion.” 

“Yes, Commander.” 

“I still have a few things to discuss with the town leader,” Yongguk says. “Send Jongup to help scribe and meet me inside within an hour.”

Himchan nods, turning his attention to his tasks. He sends the first available servingman he can to find Jongup before calling the sergeants to meet with him, handing out their assignments. “And Youngjae’s squad takes the eastward perimeter, with Daehyun’s squad to press out from the eastward walls,” Himchan says, meeting the eye of each squad leader as he dispenses their roles. “Any questions?”

“No, captain.”

“Very well. Keep your wits and your spears handy, especially if you hear or smell the ogres. Dismissed!” The group of sergeants salute before turning to rouse their squads, each comprised of ten men. 

Himchan gathers his own men and heads to city center. “We don’t expect to see action,” he tells them, “but with ogres about, you can bet I’ll be keeping my shield and spear close at hand.”

“Where should we start?” asks one of his corporals as they enter the village.

Scanning the wreckage with his eyes, Himchan grips his spear tighter. Many of the buildings are blackened by now-extinguished flames, and Himchan doesn’t trust his nose to tell him if the scent of smoke is from active or recently put-out fire. Rubble litters the streets, despite the efforts of townspeople laboring to clean up the wreckage and recover what’s buried underneath. He sets his jaw. “Anywhere we can.”

It’s rough work, unforgiving, but it has to be done. Sifting through rubble, the broken remains of life and loss, the wailing child without a mother, the mourning family who lost a child; there’s no glory here amongst the blood, sweat, and tears.

They take rolling breaks, Himchan letting his men grab bites to eat when they can. Luckily, the bandits didn’t sully the village’s water supply, though Himchan instructs his squad (and any villagers who will listen) to boil it before drinking, just in case.

He’s sitting in a cleared section of what was the town center, taking a break to eat hard cheese and an apple, watching the others continue their work. The late summer air is still, a hot and heavy sauna of a work environment. _It’s almost too humid to breathe_ , he thinks as he chews and swallows a bite of his apple. What he’d give for a bit of wind.

Nature grants his unspoken wish, and a light breeze from the east caresses his dark hair. He picks up the undeniable stench of ogre hide and leaps into action, dropping his apple and reaching for his polearm as wood snaps on the other side of the village wall. “Shields up!” he calls as he hefts his own and starts to run. “Incoming!”

The flurry of activity behind him fades to background noise as he focuses on the ogres pounding on the wooden walls. It shudders with each attempt, and each heave it survives grants them another five seconds of prep time. 

Himchan readjusts his grip on his shield as he finds cover from impending shrapnel behind the remnants of a wall, close enough he can dart out to attack the ogre before it can get too far into the village. At least, that’s what he hopes will happen. He looks back to see unarmed villagers scattering, running as far away from the village wall as they can, while their armed counterparts more or less fall in line with soldiers of the Own.

“Archers!” he shouts. “We need archers! Get ready to find your marks!” He scans the men, looking for Yongguk’s face, with no luck. “Dammit.”

Chunks of wood shoot past Himchan’s cover, littering the just-cleared street. Himchan puts his shield up to protect himself from the remains of the village wall flying through the air. He waits a few more seconds before peeking to see how many ogres have attacked the village.

Two bald ogres with thick skin like milford granite lumber through the newly-smashed hole in the wall, dressed in scraps of brown cloth providing them with a human’s sense of modesty. The rotten, earthy scent of ogre washes over him. “Shit.” He ducks back down to steel himself, before raising his shield to cover him as he charges across to head off the ogres in the middle of the street.

“Archers, fire at will!” he cries, and the order is relayed in a ripple across the fighters. Himchan sizes up their opponents. Beyond the two ogres, a handful of men hang back behind the wall, watching the creatures and the villagers, bows strung but unaimed. For now. Some appear to have axes strapped to their sides, but from a distance, it’s hard for Himchan to tell.

He turns his attention back to the ogres, their empty heads swiveling as they take in the commotion. One of them carries a club as thick as a young tree trunk, and about ten feet long. It lifts one disproportionately long arm and slams it into a nearby building, fracturing it further.

Himchan holds his shield up to deflect the debris as he charges, focusing on gutting it with his spear if he can, or grounding it by slicing the tendons around its ankles. Pushing himself forward against their increasingly concentrated stench, he aims for the closer of the two, the one without the club. Neither beast show signs of tracking him yet, much less notice he’s headed towards them. Their attention remains forward on the standing buildings and the fleeing villagers.

Still, he’d rather take his chances with the bandits’ archery than an awkward step or wayward swing of that enormous club. Himchan angles his path to take him behind the ogres, coming closer to the backs of their ankles. Not yet...not yet...his feet carry him closer still. The smell threatens his stomach to heave. He fights his instincts and raises his spear, taking aim where he predicts the ogre foot will fall next. The huge foot takes a step, and Himchan hurls himself forward with all his might.

The point of his spear cuts through the air, and the bottom of Himchan’s stomach drops out when he realizes he’s not close enough to make contact. He misses, clutching the polearm waist-level and recovering with a roll. Righting himself and staying in a crouch, his eyes flick from the ogre’s moving feet, to the bandits lingering by the wall, to the motion of the other ogre’s club as it smashes into a pile of debris. The fear that surged in his stomach fizzles into calm focus, and he keeps himself light on his feet, ready to fight or dodge as necessary.

Himchan’s failed attack cut close enough the ogre felt something near its ankles. It turns with a groan, turning its torso to find the nuisance. Himchan readjusts his shield, his spear, and takes a few steps back before taking another running leap at the creature’s ankles.

An arrow sprouts in the ogre’s eye before Himchan jumps. This time, Himchan makes contact, spearhead slicing clean through the thick skin and flesh. The ogre roars in pain, its weapon-bearing companion grumbling in response before changing its course to aid it.

Taking note of the other ogre’s movements, Himchan propels himself forward to cut the back of the other foot. His spear enters at an awkward angle, burying itself halfway through Himchan’s slice instead of cutting through like the previous ankle. The ogre roars again. One long arm swings down to smack Himchan away. Himchan rips his spear out, doing as much damage as he can before he dodges the ogre’s attack and sprints away.

Once he’s far enough back, he notices another arrow has buried itself into the ogre’s other eye. Himchan wipes sweat from his brow and scans the still-standing buildings for archer’s sightlines. 

There! On a second-floor balcony, is Yongguk, letting loose another arrow into the beast’s throat. Something like relief washes over Himchan for a moment before reality sets back in. The ogre howls, and a small volley of arrows scatter themselves on the creature’s chest as it falls to its knees.

Turning to look over his shoulder, he takes inventory of the bandits watching this unfurl. Cursing, he lifts his shield to protect himself from the arrows they’ve let loose. His bloodied and warped spearhead will be difficult to use on the second ogre’s hide, but it should dispense of bandits just fine.

He charges with a yell. Some of the bandits drop their weapons, turning and running into the woods, but a hardy few stay, grabbing the axes and blades strapped to their bodies. Riding high on adrenaline, Himchan disposes of them with far less effort than it took to hobble one ogre. The last one...the last one he leaves alive, albeit unconscious after taking the butt end of Himchan’s spear to the back of his head.

Himchan pauses to wipe more sweat from his face. He investigates a burning pain on his side, finding the wetness of a fresh wound. When did that happen? It doesn’t seem too deep, which is another bit of luck for him. At least he won’t bleed out from it. 

Suddenly, he catches the call of horns blowing, the horns of the Own. The party sounds close, but still too far away to merit Himchan to wait. Not when there’s an armed and angry ogre to deal with.

Turning his attention back to the fray, the first ogre is facedown and unmoving, blood pooling around its ankles and its neck. The second ogre, the armed one, swings its club with a roar. It strikes another building and sends a shower of debris over a group of fighters.

Himchan glances to the balcony where he saw Yongguk earlier. His knight commander is still standing, eyes trained on the ogre as he reaches into his quiver for another arrow to nock.

Yongguk has his weapon, while the polearm in Himchan’s hands is nearly useless. He hooks his shield over his back and tracks a path to the struggling beast. If he can put enough force behind it, then maybe…

His feet start moving before he realized he’d made his decision. Readjusting his spear, mangled though it is, he holds just above his waist-level, clutching it tighter as he comes close enough to attack the still-fighting ogre. He just has to make this shot.

Thrusting with all his might, Himchan aims for the ogre’s paunch. He hits his mark with a sickening thud, driving his spear into it. The polearm slides out about a foot, blood beginning to drip from the wound, before it catches on something inside the beast and sticks.

The ogre cries out, loud and deep, dropping its club to scrabble at the weapon protruding from its gut. Its eyes catch on Himchan, standing close and alone and weaponless, and every nerve in Himchan’s body screams for him to run. He turns and trips over something, large debris or a body, he’s not sure. What he does know is rolling on the ground, still alive, still whole, and the sounds of the ogre in pain as it lashes out.

Horns of the Own sound, a quick blast, quite close, and Himchan rolls against something flat and solid that stops him in his tracks. Arrows whoosh overhead, some thunking into the creature and others missing their marks. The ogre screams again, but now Himchan hears human voices yelling louder. Lightheaded, Himchan props himself into a seated position and looks to the hole in the village wall.

Youngjae and Daehyun stand at the front, side by side, flanked by their squads. They call another round of arrows. This time, most of them hit their mark, littering its face and throat with arrow punctures.

The beast collapses to the ground, where soldiers and village fighters alike wait to make sure it’s incapacitated.

Later, in a quick-set healer’s tent just outside the village, Himchan sits cross-legged on a pallet and waits for a healer to return. The slice along his ribs didn’t cut deep, but it was longer than he realized. Himchan nods as he takes a drink of water, ignoring the throbbing from the wound. _Let the healers work on the critically injured before they take a closer look at this little scratch_ , he thinks.

“There you are.” Yongguk stands in the flap of the tent, the expression on his face softer than pure relief. He has a bottle of water in his hand.

“Here I am,” Himchan says with a wry grin.

Yongguk steps inside, letting the flap drop closed behind him. “How are you feeling?”

With a grunt, Himchan gestures to his side. “Hurts like hell, but I’m fine.” He drops his hand back to his lap. “What are your orders, Commander?’

“Orders?” Yongguk shakes his head. “No orders. Soon as we can, we’re heading back to our palace headquarters.”

“Back?”

“Yes,” he says. “The ogres are...disposed. Thanks to you, the villagers have a bandit they can prosecute. We’re not needed here anymore.”

Himchan finishes his water as his brows knit together in confusion. “What about clean-up? I know you like to stick around, do anything to help out, so long as it delays our return to court.” He tilts his head. “That lie might fool the village leaders, but I know you better than that, Yongguk.”

Yongguk grins, snorting in amusement. “Yeah, well.” He trails off, looking around the tent. It’s empty, except for the two of them, and the bustle of goings-on outside. Yongguk steps closer and takes a seat beside Himchan. He hands the bottle to Himchan, who accepts it with a quiet thank-you. “It’s a white lie. Besides.” Yongguk nudges Himchan’s forearm with his elbow. “The pallets are more comfortable there.”

“You’re not going soft on me, are you?” asks Himchan with a teasing grin as Yongguk stands.

“No.” Yongguk shakes his head again, moseying toward the exit. “Maybe.” Himchan laughs, though not for long. It hurts to laugh. “I don’t like the idea of my second-in-command being out of commission. Rest up.” 

“It’s just a scratch, really,” Himchan says, but it’s more of a mumble than a protest.

“Alright, you two.” Yongguk opens the tent flap, revealing Daehyun and Youngjae waiting patiently outside. “Leave him in one piece.”

“Sir, I’m shocked you think we’d do anything less,” Daehyun says. Yongguk rolls his eyes as he walks past. Daehyun and Youngjae scurry inside. “You were so cool!”

“How are you feeling after taking down two ogres?” asks Youngjae. His gaze drops to the water in Himchan’s hands. “Food, maybe?”

“Two ogres and the bandits,” says Daehyun, making himself at home on Himchan’s pallet.

“I’m fine, Youngjae.” Himchan swats at Daehyun. “And don’t be foolish, I had help. This isn’t going to become like one of those songs the players compose about the King’s Champion. It was just a routine mission. Nothing more, nothing less.” Daehyun tries to talk over Himchan, but Himchan continues before he gets too far. “I could never take down an ogre alone, much less two and the human rabble.”

“But you kind of did.” Youngjae sits on Himchan’s other side. “I mean, we only saw the end of it. But, the commander says you were brave. Stupid, but brave.”

Himchan sighs, hurting too much to play-fight the younger men for real estate on the pallet. “Yeah, sounds about right.” He raises an eyebrow at Youngjae. “What happened to you guys? How did two ogres and a rabble of bandits slip past you two?”

“I haven’t heard if that bandit you left alive has talked,” Daehyun says, frowning. “We can’t say for certain.”

“The best answer we got is they had a hideout somewhere between patrols,” Youngjae says. “Snuck behind us from there.”

“That’s just our guess, though.”

Youngjae nods. “Right. We did catch a group of them running away from the village.”

“Dispatched the lot, unfortunately.”

Putting on his best I-am-very-pained-and-tormented face, Himchan says, “Okay, both of you get out. Go find a free healer or something so we can all be a little closer to heading back.”

“Yes, captain!” Daehyun says, standing up and offering a stiff mock-salute. Youngjae doubles over in laughter, and Himchan fights a losing battle to keep his composure.

The trip back is a rough one for Himchan, body sore even after a healer magically mends his wounds. He does his best to keep his horse at ease, refraining from squirming often, but it’s hell.

Once he’s washed the sweat, blood, and grime from his skin, Himchan settles in for a good night’s rest. Or tries to. A knock at his chamber door interrupts him while he’s half-stripped for bed.

Tossing on a simple off-white tunic, Himchan answers the door to find Jongup waiting for him. “Good evening, Jongup. What brings you at this hour?”

“Sir Knight Commander requests your expertise,” Jongup says. “He’s in his office.”

Himchan leaves the door ajar as he turns to pack a few things, grabbing the pouch sitting by the foot of his bed and folding in a few papers from his desk. Jongup steps inside and makes himself at home in one of the chairs by the door. “Did he mention anything specific?”

Jongup shakes his head. “It isn’t an urgent request, either. At your earliest convenience this evening, he said.”

“My earliest convenience.” Himchan rests his pouch on his desk and looks over to Jongup. “I suppose now is convenient. What do you think?”

With a grin, Jongup says, “I think you can stand to make him wait a little longer, if you wanted.” Himchan laughs when Jongup turns his gaze downward in an attempt to hide a sly grin.

“Let’s go, Jongup,” Himchan says. He picks up the pouch and heads to the door, opening it and gesturing for Jongup to exit.

Sighing, Jongup stands and stretches before complying with Himchan’s request. “Do you want me to carry that?” he asks, passing Himchan on his way out the door.

Himchan uses the pouch to smack Jongup on the ass. “I’m fine.” He steps out and locks the door behind him, dropping his keys in his bag. “Just old and sore.”

“Aw, Himchan, you’re not that old,” Jongup says as they start off toward Himchan’s chambers.

“That’s kind of you,” Himchan says, patting Jongup’s arm with affection. 

It’s a pleasant trip through the corridors. Jongup is a bit strange, but Himchan’s never had a boring conversation with him. Today, he’s excited about a friend of his, some squire Junhong, off with his overlord engaging with rogue traders and other adventures along the southern border.

“Pirates,” Himchan says. “Rogue traders is a pretty name for them.”

Jongup’s eyes go wide and distant. “Pirates.” He looks over at Himchan. “Have you ever fought pirates?”

With a coy grin, Himchan shrugs. “That’s a story for another night, Jongup.” They stop in front of Yongguk’s office doors. Himchan leans to one side of the frame while Jongup knocks.

They don’t wait long before Yongguk opens the door. His eyes flick from Jongup to Himchan and back again. “Thank you, Jongup.”

Jongup stands a little straighter. “As you requested.” He bows the appropriate amount for his station. “Will you require anything further of me?”

“No, Jongup,” Yongguk says. “Go get some rest. I’ll see you in the morning.” Jongup stands again, gaze lingering on Himchan, before he bids them both goodnight and disappears down the hall.

“May I come in?” Himchan asks. 

Yongguk steps aside. “Please.” He closes the door once Himchan is inside.

The windows are shuttered closed, the room bathed in soft, off-white light cast by a few unflickering magical lamps. “Now, what would you need me for that couldn’t wait until morning?” Himchan asks. He makes his way toward one of the chairs facing Yongguk’s desk. He holds onto the back, leaning most of his weight on it, and tosses his bag on the other chair.

Metal clicks into place as Yongguk locks the door. “I was worried about you.”

“Oh?”

“You were reckless today.” Yongguk’s low voice grows closer with each slow step. “I thought I was going to lose you.”

“It was hardly a scratch,” Himchan says. Yongguk’s arms envelope him in a back hug, hands sliding around Himchan’s waist and nose burying into the crook of Himchan’s neck. “I’m fine.” Himchan lets himself accept this, giving in to the urge to melt against Yongguk. He’s slender, especially for a knight, and not as burly as people expect from the stories players tell about them during the Immortals War. Then again, maybe that’s how they all are. 

The stories don’t talk about how Yongguk’s long fingers find the loose cloth on Himchan’s body and hold it, or how warm he feels pressed against Himchan’s back. Because those stories don’t get told.

“Jongup was especially cheeky today,” Himchan says, finding and covering Yongguk’s hands with his own.

Yongguk hums against Himchan’s skin. “Do you think he knows?”

“I think he suspects.”

“That’s no good, then,” Yongguk says as he nuzzles Himchan’s neck. “I don’t want anyone asking the wrong kinds of questions when they wonder why I spend so much time with Third Company.”

Himchan snorts at that. “You know Jongup isn’t that sort.” He finds one of Yongguk’s hands with his own, covering it. “I think most people are a bit more blind than you think.” Yongguk hums again. He shifts his head to drop a kiss atop Himchan’s shoulder, on the side one of the bandits injured. “Now, really. What did you summon me for?”

Yongguk stops, holding himself stiff and still. He disentangles himself from Himchan’s hold and steps away. “Sit down,” he says. “You might be physically healed, but I know you’re still sore.” When Himchan doesn’t move, Yongguk prompts him again. “Sit, please. Indulge me.”

He watches Yongguk step around him before he moves in the opposite direction, sitting in the chair as Yongguk leans against his desk. “I’m fine,” Himchan says, though Yongguk knows better. As with alcohol or pain, the human body eventually builds up a tolerance to magical healing. Put a body through years of healings, and even a scratch won’t mend as pain-free as it did the first time.

Relaxing in the chair, Himchan spreads his legs and sinks down into the seat until he’s comfortable. Yongguk slides along his desk, face comically nonchalant as he stops right in front of Himchan.

“What are you doing?” Himchan asks, tapping Yongguk’s ankles with his foot. 

Warmth spreads in his chest when Yongguk grins at him. Himchan can’t help but grin back. “I’m indulging myself,” Yongguk says. He takes a step forward, the smile on his face softening as he grows serious. Realization sinks in when Yongguk gets to his knees and puts his palms on Himchan’s thighs.

“Oh,” Himchan breathes. Sliding toward Himchan’s hips, Yongguk’s fingers converge over the laces. “ _Oh_.”

Yongguk makes quick work of them, and when Himchan lifts his hips in preparation for the removal of the rest of his clothing, Yongguk press him back into the chair. “Just this,” he says, drawing out Himchan’s cock and stroking it with cool and dry hands. Himchan settles back down, opening his legs wider and watching Yongguk work Himchan to hardness.

It doesn’t take long before Yongguk’s hand stills, clutching around the base of Himchan’s erection, and his mouth takes over. Pursing his lips together, Yongguk pushes his head down Himchan’s shaft. The tightness gives way to the wet warmth of a languorous tongue, moving in broad, flat caresses along the underside of Himchan’s cock. Himchan sighs and relaxes under Yongguk’s ministrations, losing himself to the vortex of Yongguk’s mouth. 

Every now and then, Yongguk lifts his head, letting a long trail of spit dribble down over the head of Himchan’s dick before reapplying his mouth. He resumes his leisurely pace. Yongguk curls and flicks his tongue as his head bobs. His hand squeezes in rhythm at the base, drawing soft moans from Himchan as Yongguk brings him to climax.

Uncharacteristically without fanfare, Himchan comes, roll after roll of pleasure sweeping through his body as he shoots into Yongguk’s mouth. Yongguk doesn’t stop until Himchan does, pulling his mouth up Himchan’s shaft one final time and laying the softening cock down. After he swallows, Yongguk licks his lips.

“Indulged?” Himchan reaches out, smoothing back Yongguk’s hair.

Smiling, Yongguk leans into the touch. “Quite.” He turns his head and kisses Himchan’s palm. “You should go back soon.”

“I should. You should rest, too.”

Yongguk’s eyes open and catch Himchan’s gaze as he stands. Himchan tucks himself back in, tying the laces at his groin. “I’ll see you in the morning, captain.”

When he’s finished, Himchan stands. He reaches out to touch Yongguk’s face, the pad of his thumb grazing across Yongguk’s lips. “I mean it. Rest.” With that, he turns and grabs his pouch from the other chair. Withdrawing across the room, Himchan senses and ignores Yongguk’s gaze on him as he unlocks the door and shuts it behind him.

The corridors are empty but for the usual patrols. Soon enough, Himchan closes his chamber door. This time, he’s left undisturbed as he prepares for bed and the dawn of another day.


End file.
